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You are very correct. Just like any doctor or therapist, you sometimes have to keep searching for one that works for you. I think that so many pain patients are sucked into psychological and physical dependence on taking a pill to relieve their suffering (understandably so) that many times alternative methods that work and have no side effects are not even tried first. Good luck to you all in finding your path through the pain - you are not alone out there even when you feel that you are!View Thread

Good point, Teresa - thank you. My husband was one of the lucky ones that had a fair outcome but is now classed as failed back surgery syndrome because the overall pain never stopped, just the shooting pains down his leg. They also have minimally invasive techniques that will cauterize the torn area from inside the disc using a laparoscopic technique and laser. I searched "minimally invasive laser spine surgery" and got some good information. There is also an interesting one www.avoidtheknife.com which may be appropriate for someone like you. Best wishes to you all in your struggle with pain.View Thread

When tissue is torn, the body makes chemicals that promote inflammation to try to draw cells to the area to help clear up the dead tissue. They leak out of the torn disc and inflame the nerves that surround the disc. I absolutely, wholeheartedly believe that artificial disc replacement is the way to go compared to the fusion. I would recommend that you find out who is the best surgeon around for you. If you want to find out about the procedure, there is a site called www.artificialdisc.com that explains what to expect. When my husband went through the clinical trial, all of the people who had remained active despite their pain or who had just suffered the injury within a short period of time did extremely well, were able to drastically reduce meds and return to work.View Thread

Thank you very much for your reply, Teresa. When you have been suffering with your loved one for many years and something actually works for a change, one wants to shout it from the rooftops to see if it helps others. I really hope you find that something to help you someday. I wanted to let you know about a website called www.restministries.org started by a woman with RA and run from her home office - even if you are not religious, this site has a lot of pain links and books that are helpful for dealing with the emotional aftermath. Best hope and luck to you, Teresa! JudyView Thread

Hello Annette,Thanks for your reply. Before the artificial disc, my husband had terrible shooting pains down his leg. The artificial disc elevated the disc height and replaced the torn disc tissue that was leaking inflammatory mediators onto the nerves. The pain that remained is chronic - they have told him that the pain nerves don't know how to do anything else since they've been constantly firing for 14 years. He's since had a neurostimulator implanted in his spine which helps about 25% - pain people and their families will do anything to ease their suffering. The hypnotherapy has not allowed him to decrease meds, but it takes care of the remaining horrible pain that the meds won't touch and gives him not only more quality of life, but a tool to use instead of reaching for another pain med - more personal empowerment which increases his self-esteem.View Thread

dogvet posted: I wish my husband had considered medical hypnotherapy 14 years ago when his back pain started and he was functional. He is now on the downhill deconditioned slide but seeing incredible results with medical hypnosis. I was not aware of this therapy until several months ago. It is approved by the AMA and has an EXTREMELY high success rate for pain patients - dramatically improving quality of life and decreasing hopelessness. I googled "medical hypnosis" and some of the towns close to me and called several people until I called one that I "clicked" with - it's worth a try and often far less expensive than traditional therapists with far greater results. We have found that a two hour medical hypnosis session is equivalent to 10 regular therapy appointments in effectiveness and my husband has the ability to control his pain just by self-hypnosis. You don't need any special skills to accomplish this and you don't need to be afraid that anyone will brainwash you or make you dance the funky chicken like stage hyponotists. THIS WORKS!!! You need to know that my husband is a nurse and a tremendous skeptic with "alternative" treatments, but the results convinced him. He can't wait to see his hypnotherapist now because he feels so good afterward - he has been able to deal with some long-term painful issues as well - something he has never faced before. Please don't automatically discount this therapy - look at what they say on WebMD first!View Thread

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